Rem's World

Rem's World

Rem lived on a small world. It
was rocky and sprouted squat trees at unusual angles and sometimes a
swirling wind would dance around them and their metallic leaves would
sing songs. Depending on the direction of the swirling, the songs
could be high and joyous or they could low and mournful. Sometimes
he would try to sing with them but he could never match them.
Sometimes two winds would swirl in opposite directions and the duet
would make the small world feel smaller.

He
had walked around his world many times, it was small and since he
lived there alone he could wander wherever he wanted. He would walk
until the day grew too dark and until the trees stopped their singing
and when he would find somewhere not too rocky and stretch out. The
stars would scatter across the sky for his eyes to count and he would
watch them move from one edge of vision to the other.

Rem
would sometimes wonder about the stars but most times he would not.
Once in a while, when it would turn paler or whiter, he would wonder
about his sun but the rest of the time he paid it no mind. When he
was hungry he would wonder about where to find a tree and then he
would find one with large, bell-shaped fruits that had a purplish skin
and sweet flesh inside. When he was thirsty he would move some small
rocks and water would spout upward for a few minutes before dribbling
down and disappearing.

The
days and the nights and the stars passed and Rem did not count the
time off for there was no reason for him to do so. He spent his days
quietly and his nights even quieter and each was as the once that
proceeded it.

Then
he found it.

It
was small and box-like and stood upon one spindly metal leg. It was
in the midst of a group of trees, standing solidly and quietly and
Rem almost didn't see it as he walked. When he did, he stopped and
considered it with a cocked head and a squinted eye. He rubbed a
spot on the back of his head that he sometimes rubbed when he lay
upon the ground to count the stars.

The
box had one round eye that telescoped out and bent to look at Rem
before retreating back to its concave place. A silver antenna
spiraled up like a corkscrew and then the box seemed to wait. Rem
waited too, squatting down for a bit before his legs grew tense and
he sat fully upon the ground. His small world was quiet as the two
of them sat amongst the trees and the sun moved across the sky.

A
swirling wind began to stir. At first, though, it did not swirl but
just blew softly and straight and low, whispering past Rem's legs
that were stretched out on the rocks. He recognized the wind and
waited for it to change directions. It did and it began to rise
higher and Rem stood. The wind changed direction again and again,
trying to decide where it would like to go.

Soon
it began a slow swirl, winding around his legs and the metallic
leaves started to move. The song they began to sing was high pitched
and seemed to like the wind, rising and falling. The wind swirled
faster and split off to engender another group of trees to join the
chorus. The two songs echoed around the thin air of Rem's small
world.

The
box began to rotate upon its single leg, moving slightly in the
direction of the songs. A panel opened on one side and a flat, thin
disc slid out, rotated so that its surface faced Rem and then it
rotated too. It moved with the box, the whole thing moving in a slow
circle on its axis.

Rem
thought about the box and what it might be and where it might have
come from. He knew the whole of his small word and he knew what lay
under every rock and where every tree grew and he had never
encountered anything new. He suddenly thought to himself that he
liked new things and the way new things tickled his mind. He liked
having something new to look at and to consider.

The
song became intense, singing in such notes that Rem felt almost sad
at its happiness. He closed his eyes, listened to the singing leaves
and could hear that the song traveled all around his small world,
ringing from the opposite side. His whole world was singing to him
and to this new thing that had appeared here.

He
opened his eyes, sighing for a reason he could not name and noticed
that the box was not there. Somehow it had moved to a clearing and
rocky outcropping that let it stand higher than any of the trees.

Rem
moved to where it was and he was able to hear even clearer the
planet-wide song. He tried to join in, his voice matching the high
pitches and he sang like the leaves, following the brush of the wind
on his face. The box turned its disc towards him and he could sense
that it was listening. Rem tried to ignore it and he found his voice
matching perfectly with the tree songs.

The
box withdrew the disc and it disappeared back into the panel. Then
it too began to sing. Its voice was not as soft as the trees or as
wavering as Rem's but it sang nonetheless. The longer it sang the
closer it resonated with Rem and with the trees and the less
perfunctory it sang.

Rem
enjoyed the song, he enjoyed the happiness of the trees, he enjoyed
hearing the box sing like the trees and he enjoyed having something
new to sing with. He smiled at the swirling wind as he sang and he
knew the wind enjoyed creating the song. His whole small world was
enjoying the song.

The
song sang for a long time, his small sun moved over them and still
the song was sung. Rem grew tired of standing and somewhat hungry
but he did not grow tired of the song.

The
wind, though, did grow tired and just as the stars began to appear in
the sky the wind began to slow. The song changed to lower tones and
they adjusted with it, singing in languid, shifting verse. Rem was
able to catch his breath as it sometimes became more of a whisper
than a song and just a low breath between pursed lips.

The
box then bent its spindly leg and lowered itself for just a moment.
Quietly it sprang, soaring high up in the air and landing further
away from Rem. It stood motionless once it had landed though Rem
thought that it watched him, waiting for him to follow.

Rem
tried leaping too but he neither soared as high or as far nor landed
as gracefully as the box. He tried again and, though he landed and
fell, he enjoyed it. After several leaps he found himself next to
the box and its round eye. He looked at the box closely and he
thought it looked at him closely too.

It
sang to him just a few tones even though the wind had tired of its
swirling and had quieted. Rem sang back the same tones. The box
sang different tones but still part of the song they had sung all day
and Rem repeated the song. The box sang the soft song they had sung
at the end as the wind had tired and Rem sang it back in a soft,
almost sad song.

They
were quiet then, contemplating each other as the stars rotated and
the squat trees grew their purplish fruits and the small world turned
around its small sun. Rem suddenly wanted to reach out, lay his hand
upon the box and to feel it sitting there. However he did not,
rather he watched it and waited.

The
box made no sound for the short time they sat and Rem wondered if it
had fallen asleep then wondered if it did indeed sleep. Then it
whispered some of the song in different tones and order and Rem tried
to repeat. The box sang one loud, long note that echoed through the
metallic leaves and over the jumbled rocks and around Rem's world
entire.

Rem
sensed something and stepped back. The box then bent its spindly leg
again and lowered itself for just a moment again. Quietly it sprang
again, soaring high up in the air. This time, though, it did not
come down. Instead it rose and rose and rose until it was just a
small box far up in the sky over Rem's world.

He
stood and watched it until he could not tell it from the faint stars
and further then until it shrank into the darkness between the stars.
Rem looked around at the spot where the box had stood and up at the
stars and then back at the spot. He looked around at his world and
at the darkened trees and the silhouette of the rocks on the horizon
and the quietness and sighed even quieter.

Write a Review
Did you enjoy my story? Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Thanks,
Chuck Manson

snowview03:
This is the first book I have read on this app and I loved it! When I read the title I thought about the hunger games, but this novel is so much more. Some book have a comparison between other books that fallow like premises so i will do my own: Arena has the compellingly emotional stresses and t...

Theresa Alley:
I have not read a short story that was so well rounded out and Full of , not only fun, BUT well imagined characters!! This book actually made me TEARY EYED!! I LOVE IT!! GREAT JOB!! And a great joy to read!! thanks!!

Rita Kovács:
It is a brilliant post-apocalyptic story, and there is a lot of work in it! Also, I'm really happy to see, it got published with all its seqences, because this story deserved it, it is wonderfully written, it's imaginative and original.

Tomlen Brenda:
This has been a fabulous journey reading this novel.you would not knw how interesting it is until you start reading it. and when you Start... you won't want to stop.I loved every chapter, the characters were great, the style of writing, the actions.. well keep writing your work is great!

NRF:
This was a very interesting story line, although the author did not go far enough in explaining the war and why some received special powers and some didn't. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of this author's writing.

Rebecca Weller:
This book is gritty, and not for the faint of heart, as far as what you can expect the heroine Layla is put through, and yet there is a compelling and tender love story wrapped up in the darkness. An easy flowing writing style, I was drawn to keep turning the pages to find out if Layla and Adonis...

Jalakins:
I loved this story. The characters were very interesting and engaging. The plot was very interesting and I had a hard time when I had to stop reading - just wanted to read it all in one sitting! My only complaint on the story is that sometimes I felt like the storyline jumped from one thing to a ...

ranaelamir:
I L O V E this. It's so beautiful, and creative and just so original. I love the writing style, and the plot and the characters and everything about the story. The story is intense, and it kept me hooked. I'm usually picky about books like these, but just the title got me interested. I totally ...

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